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Dear Johann/ Terry
Children -where ever they are- are born potentially perfect and external
conditions can either allow it to bloom (awaken) or condition it.
We can take just one factor which is telling lies. Children are born in
truth (this is our existential condition) and unless there is a condition
created for telling lies children do not lie. . Another example is anger.
We have no reason to get angry unless there is obstruction. As you are
aware in modern societies there is always no, don’t, do as I say etc. all
the time where as in oral cultures no teaching, no instruction and no
restriction. This is crucial in the formative periods i.e. from 0 to 12.
As children in tribal non literate societies are born in to an atmosphere
of freedom and trust what is natural in them gets awakened.
We are born with the right being-ness (to be in harmony with everything
else) to be on earth and the 'cognitive conditions' do the rest.
The initial part of our life is for rooting ourselves to where ever we
belong and the rooting is done by the senses. Being 'here and now' is the
result of rooting. Our tools, qualities and values for being in the world
also gets awakened in the process. As observation is the most important
cognitive act conditions exist for the child to observe various natural
phenomenon of life as it is.
Destruction of senses is done by forcing language on to the child. Once
naming gets more important the cognitive processes related to senses die
and thinking and reasoning takes over. As they get entrenched in the
linguistic world, the world of objects recede from their vision. They stop
being present to the world around. From the realm of timelessness they also
get caught up in the clutches of time.
In sense literate communities or oral cultures there no teaching at all,
and this allows for total autonomy and child retains its original nature.
The second hand-ness in the literate world can also be explored to
understand this. Experience by its very nature is firsthand whereas when we
learn about the world through language is always secondhand. Language is
explanation and not the thing being explained. This is also clear from the
way modern man is made to depend on methods developed by some one else. We
fragment spontaneous action in which planning and doing are integrated in
to first plan then do. We may have to do this once in a while but this has
become our default being-ness. (Paul feyberhand’s’ Against method’ is a
good read)
The new explorations in Anthropology of childhood, where a revisiting is
happening to various commonly held notions about childhood. Many accepted
theories of Piage, Vygotsky etc. are being challenged as they are culture
specific and not universal. I feel if at all one has to study the natural
propensities in human being one must study the least 'conditioned or
civilized. Take dogs for instance. If you study the pets at home and
conclude their behaviors as universal what will happen? This is what has
been happening. Most studies on children are biased at all levels. Those
engaged in research and those being studied belong to the same paradigm.
(
http://www.usu.edu/anthro/davidlancyspages/RW_Powerpoints/when_nurture_becomes_nature/index.htm
)
I have tried to understand how paradigms limit/ dictate what and how we
know. See the link http://www.re-cognition.org/knowing/
To my understanding people like Buddha, Kabir and most spiritual seekers
were involved in one question. 'Who am I’? If you closely study that you
will find these are the most comprehensive study done on cognition, human
mind, psychology etc.
The knower has always been the study knowingly or unknowing in these
cultures till institutionalized, de contextualised and forced education
took over. It not only began to focus on the external world but also
removed the knower in the act in the name of subjectivity and the
reductionist approach totally distorted the knowledge and the knower.
Let me take few words that are at vogue now – like holistic, self
organization, collective and explore how the reductionist rational mind
appropriates the meaning.
Why are we at all talking about holistic? Shouldn’t we first talk about how
fragmentation took place? How did we become linear? Without addressing this
how can we talk about holistic? The typical response has been to add,
include all the fragments. So in the schools new subjects are being added-
environment, gender, moral studies- to make it holistic. This list will go
on increasing as we get fragmented more and more. Fragmentation also
initiates exclusion and creation of hierarchy.
Self organization is the new fad. How digestion happens in our body is an
act of self organization done by the body where our ego has no control. I
think comprehension is also a similar act where our being self organizes
the cognitive input- senses, experience etc and through insight we come to
know.
The way we learned our mother tongue is a clear example. Before we learned
the grammar we learned to articulate well! So who organized this for us?
Certainly not the ego self.
Collective also has the same problem. This word was first used by Carl
Jung, today totally appropriated from his meaning.
Anne refered this link in her mail. The danger of a single story by
Chimamanda Adichie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg is really
worth watching.
*Tao Ching**
*
*Chapter 1 <http://www.taoism.net/ttc/chapters/chap01.htm>*
The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations
These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders
*Chapter 2*
When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises
When it knows good as good, evil arises
Thus being and non-being produce each other
Difficult and easy bring about each other
Long and short reveal each other
High and low support each other
Music and voice harmonize each other
Front and back follow each other
Therefore the sages:
Manage the work of detached actions
Conduct the teaching of no words
They work with myriad things but do not control
They create but do not possess
They act but do not presume
They succeed but do not dwell on success
It is because they do not dwell on success
That it never goes away
Jinan
On 8 March 2013 22:59, Terence Love <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Jinan,
> Are you saying that the process of learning for people who are not
> literature is not primarily conditioning?
> As I understand it, learning in those situations is mostly through
> conditioning. More so than for literate individuals.
> If you think otherwise I'd be interested to understand your reasons and
> evidence.
> Best wishes,
> Terry
> ===
> Dr Terence Love FDRS, AMIMechE, PMACM, MISI
> Director,
> Love Services Pty Ltd
> PO Box 226, Quinns Rocks
> Western Australia 6030
> [log in to unmask]
> www.love.com.au
> ===
>
>
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--
Jinan,
'DIGITAL MEDIUM IS A TOOL.DIGITALLY MEDIATED KNOWLEDGE DESTROYS THE BEING'
www.re-cognition.org
www.kumbham.org
http://my.opera.com/jinankb/blog/
reimaginingschools.wordpress.com
09447121544
0487 2386723
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